Today we’d like to introduce you to Vered Back.
Hi Vered, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
This is the story of an entrepreneur, or first and foremost, a woman, on an illuminating journey of growth, empowerment, health, and grace.
2010, a time where the organic beauty space was small and niche. Vered Organic Botanicalswas born out of love and labor. It also marked my rebirth. My head was filled with dreams, projects, and aspirations; my heart was bursting as Vered organically grew a loyal base of happy customers. There was not a dull moment between formulating my products, developing my brand, and continuing my work as a skincare holistic practitioner. Betweeen massages, cupping, personal training, facials, my days were filled to the brim and I was entirely devoted to my activity and my passion for serving others.
Until my body decided otherwise.
What supposedly was a long time coming, felt like an overnight cataclysm. The healthy and active person I was became drastically ill, plagued by a myriad of symptoms that never fully went away for 8 solid years. Those debilitating symptoms cut short my activities and I lost all my clients. Even eating became a battlefield, for my body seemed to reject pretty much everything except fruits. My memory started to flail, and I was experiencing tremendous body aches. The search for a diagnosis left me with hundreds of thousands of dollars of bills, hopping from one doctor to another. None of them found what was wrong with me.
I wish nobody to feel the level of frustration and despair that I endured during those times. I later found out that my symptoms came from an undiagnosed Lyme disease.
And as I found myself abandoned by the medical system, a dear friend of mine (possibly carrying the divine message) recommended I study herbalism since she knew about my deep passion for holistic practices and healing traditions.
Although I doubted whether or not I would be physically and mentally capable to study, I pushed through and enrolled in a herbalism course. Two days in, I felt as if I belonged there. It was a grounding moment and for the first time in a long time, I felt clarity. My teacher sensed the connection too and encouraged me to keep going. I felt renewed hope and joy. In a matter of three weeks, I started creating my blends, testing anti-fungal, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial medicines.
I’d take specific herbs every two hours and a couple of weeks later, my appetite came back. There’s a memory that is very dear to me, with the visit of my mom from Israel. She used to cook for me to help restore my appetite but to no avail, until one day I looked at her with a smile on my face and asked jokingly “mom why are you starving me?” She burst into tears of joy and cooked me a hearty meal that I ate all up. It was the happiest moment of my life.
A shift had happened and from that moment onwards, my condition improved little by little, one symptom after the other. During the process, I came to the following conclusion:
‘’If I can heal my body internally, I can heal the skin externally”
My esthetician and aromatherapy background allowed me to concoct skin treatments and products but with this added herbalism knowledge, I felt the urge to create products that would encompass all these disciplines.
I believe we cannot separate the body from the mind so my products were formulated with the intention to also provide results on the limbic system, aka our emotional brain. That’s where therapeutic grade essential oils come in, in synergy with anti-inflammatory herbs, and high-quality carrier oils with a small molecular structure to penetrate easily onto the skin. That is the core of Vered Organic Botanicals.
Retrospectively, I see this as a divine intervention, the universe sending me a strong message to finally create a healing process for myself, to ultimately become wiser and more resilient. It was in my destiny to reevaluate my life and change my perspective on skincare and beauty. I am not interested in tackling skin issues, I am invested in providing products that soothe and nourish the skin and mind together.
When Vered Organic Botanical was released, things took off very quickly. I had to let go of my activity as a facial therapist, after 30 years of doing it with love and passion.
Vogue reached out, many magazines features ensued and I would find my products in my dream retailers. I was living the dream in NYC, working tirelessly to match the City’s frenetic pace, until a couple of heartbreaking and soul-crushing events occured and froze my world. There was no other option than to step back and take a break.
But as Leonard Cohen said « there’s a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in », and what those challenging times taught me is that I don’t have to look for the light outside if I remember the fire I have inside of me. That spark has always been there, and I intend to to nourish it and fuel it. It is in my nature is to share and open up. I love to serve, I relish in seeing others feeling healthier and better. Happiness is only real when shared.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Just the first few years because I was one of the firsts in the green beauty industry. Now there are so many and most are greenwashing and it became very confusing to clients to know who and what is the real deal. Plus I don’t work with investors so it’s all on me.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I still make all the products by myself. I do my own social media, I take mostly all of my pictures, I write my own blogs and Newsletters.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Basically my clients were my best cheerleaders since I was giving facials for 30 years and I was already than making my own formulas. So they bagged me to come out with my own line. And I did.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://veredbotanicals.com/
- Instagram: @veredorganicbotanicals
Image Credits
Vered Back
